Aged Care options can be very confusing especially when people start talking about Bonds or RADS and DAPS or say things like you need a RAS or an ACAT, it’s like they are speaking another language and perhaps they are. To the average person these acronyms don’t mean anything until you find yourself in a situation where you need to know that a RAS is short for Regional Assessment Service and is what you need to have before you can access Community Care services or an ACAT actually stands for Aged Care Client Record which is the first thing you are going to be asked for if you are considering residential care as an option.
But how do you find out these things or even know where to start. The first place to go is your doctor who can refer you to these services, after that you will receive a phone call from a health professional who will identify themselves and make a time to come out and see you in your home to discuss and assess your care needs, they will ask a lot of questions that will help them to figure out what sort of services you need and that could include cleaning, gardening, help with shopping or a variety of other options for those living in the community. Options for residential care can be a bit more confusing which is why is often beneficial to engage a professional placement consultant to help you work through the aged care information maze. But back to the RAS, once you have been assessed and approval given, you will then receive a letter which tells you what level of care you are entitled to and how many hours service you are entitled to each week or fortnight. Whether that is HACC which standards for Home and Community Care or a Community Care Package which has different levels for those with higher care needs. There is of course a cost involved and this is dependent on the package of care you have been approved for and to a degree your income, for example a pensioner would pay less than a self-funded retiree. Then of course there is choosing a service provider which in regional WA means that you won’t have as much choice as someone living in the Perth metro where there are more service providers but, what you will get are fully trained staff who are dedicated, caring and professional, because at the end of it all if having someone come and help you with your housework or shopping means you can stay in your own home, it is well worth considering. For more information on how an Aged Care Placement Consultant may be able to assist you for a reasonable fee, please contact Wendy at Care Connections on : 0475 417 768 or email info@careconnections.net.au A recent patient survey into the use of telehealth has generated outstanding feedback for the high-definition videoconferencing service.
Patients said Telehealth, which is used to link people in rural areas to a range of clinicians in the state’s major hospitals and health services, saves time and money and is far more convenient than city visits. Member for Warren-Blackwood, Terry Redman said that more than 15,000 country patients have used the telehealth service for outpatient appointments in the past year and the service was continuing to grow as people hear how convenient it is. “It makes a big difference when regional patients can see their specialist via videoconference from their local hospital, and not have to make arrangements to leave family and work, travel for hours, and find accommodation,” Mr Redman said. “The overwhelming feedback was that patients who attended an appointment via telehealth were very happy with the ease and quality of the service. “It is clear that telehealth staff at the regional health services are seen by regional patients as professional and supportive, and that using the telehealth service is far better than having to travel to the city or regional centre.” Almost all patients said the service was as effective as a “face to face” appointment and that speaking to their specialist from a regional site saved them time and money. “The expansion of Telehealth is just one example of the State Government’s significant investment in regional health care through the Royalties for Regions program,” Mr Redman said. “The response that 99 per cent of those surveyed would recommend the telehealth service is a pretty clear indication of the success of this investment.” In the 2015-16 financial year, there were almost 33,500 occasions of clinical services delivered by telehealth. This comprises more than 16,500 emergency treatments, more than 5,000 mental health appointments and almost 12,000 outpatient treatments. The Regional Wellbeing Survey’s mission is to support research that improves the wellbeing and quality of life of people living in rural and regional Australia. To achieve this, each year we ask people living across Australia to take part in our survey.
Click the picture to go to the survey page. |
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The Greenbushes Community Resource Centre has been serving the community of Greenbushes since 1995. Archives
August 2022
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